A wave of overnight Russian strikes on central Ukraine has left one man dead and caused widespread destruction, according to Ukrainian officials. The attacks, which targeted the industrial Dnipropetrovsk region, included drones, artillery, and guided aerial bombs.
Regional authorities reported that the Synelnykivsky district bore the brunt of the assault. “The invaders struck Synelnykivsky district with a guided aerial bomb. A man was killed. Our sincere condolences to his family,” said Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council. In addition to the fatality, five private homes and a kindergarten were damaged.
Nearby in Nikopol district, further strikes damaged a business, four residential buildings, and critical power infrastructure, leaving parts of the area without electricity.
This latest attack follows a deadly strike earlier in the week on military training facilities in the same region, where 12 Ukrainian soldiers lost their lives.
Russia has intensified its military campaign in recent weeks, seemingly in response to a high-profile Ukrainian attack on Russian air bases. The Kremlin has promised retaliation, leading to a surge in cross-border assaults that have caused mounting civilian and military casualties.
The renewed violence comes as peace talks held in Istanbul failed to produce a lasting resolution to the three-year-old conflict. The only tangible outcome of the negotiations—a large-scale prisoner exchange involving over 1,000 captives from each side—has also stalled.
Moscow accused Kyiv on Saturday of dragging its feet on finalizing a date for the exchange. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials claim that Russia is manipulating the terms of the agreement. “They are playing dirty games,” a Ukrainian negotiator said, accusing the Kremlin of deliberately derailing the process.
As diplomatic efforts falter and hostilities escalate, the humanitarian toll continues to rise. With both sides blaming each other for the breakdown in talks and the delay in the prisoner swap, hopes for a de-escalation appear increasingly distant.
The ongoing conflict has devastated numerous communities and strained international efforts to mediate a peaceful resolution, raising fears of a prolonged war with further loss of life.
